A Fantasy Writers' Handbook

By Richie Billing

You can picture the world. Now put the story on the page.

Perhaps you've filled notebooks with characters, kingdoms and magic, but the first chapter still feels out of reach. Or you've started your fantasy novel and reached a point where the plot stalls, the dialogue falls flat, or you're unsure what needs fixing.

A Fantasy Writer's Handbook brings together practical advice on writing fantasy, worldbuilding and taking your next steps towards publication. Written by fantasy author and host of The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed, Richie Billing, it offers clear explanations, examples and encouragement for the days when writing feels harder than it should.

Inside, you'll find help to:

Create characters readers care about. Explore their motivations, conflicts and development, and give them dialogue that reveals who they are.

Shape a story that holds attention. Get to grips with plot, viewpoint and suspense, and tackle familiar problems such as information dumping.

Build a believable fantasy world. Develop magic, monsters, maps and names, with historical inspiration to give your setting texture.

Write convincing fight scenes. Draw on guidance about combat, medieval weapons and armour to make the action easier to imagine.

Keep going when doubt creeps in. Find ways to approach procrastination, regain focus and work through the uncertainty of writing.

Navigate what comes after the draft. Explore editing, feedback, manuscript formatting, finding publishers, submission cover letters and building your author presence.

Along the way, Billing draws on established writing advice, examples from fiction and opinions gathered from writers, editors and readers. The conversational style leaves room for humour as well as the difficult questions every developing writer faces.

Read it from the beginning or turn to the subject you're wrestling with today. Whether you're working on your first fantasy short story or finding your way through a novel, this is a handbook to keep beside your manuscript.

Open it at the problem holding you back, and take the next step with your story.

EXCLUSIVE BONUS: free access to the online class "How To Write A Fantasy Novel" (value $25).

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 109778133X
• ISBN13: 9781097781331
• Release Date: May 2019
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 372 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"